A Rose in Shadow

Wednesday

WEDNESDAY

Samantha had a tutoring session Wednesday afternoon but had promised Adam that she would meet her client at the main public library instead of the school library, so she was already sitting at a table doing her own studying when Cheryl arrived.

"Hi Samantha. What a day, huh?"

Cheryl was a bubbly first year student who Samantha had tutored almost constantly this semester in all of her classes, the current struggle being chemistry. Personality-wise, Cheryl would make a lovely nurse but Samantha didn't think that she had the reflexes or the decision making skills to make a career out of it. She had been mistaken once or twice before though, so hoped that Cheryl could prove her wrong.

She sat down in a blur of pink across from Samantha and started unloading her backpack onto the table. Organization was obviously not one of Cheryl's strengths.

A notebook and pen followed a package of gum and two bottles of water onto the table before Samantha heard the crinkling of plastic and Cheryl pulled out a single rose in vellum paper. "I almost forgot" she handed it over to Samantha "some guy just asked me to give this to you but I had my hands full so shoved it into my bag. I hope that I didn't crush it on you" She stopped and cocked her head to look at Samantha. "You don't look happy about it".

"Not so much" Samantha muttered and gave Cheryl's hand a pat. "Don't worry about it. I'll be right back" and she excused herself to go call Adam and Sergeant Lyle.

"Adam" she said trying to cut into his tirade. "Don't worry about swinging by here. I'll take it to the Sarge myself after my tutoring session is over in about an hour. I was planning to go over to the station anyway, I have something for Elizabeth" she listened for a minute before sighing. "Elizabeth is Sarge's wife" she listened for another minute before she cut in again. "Adam McCabe. You can meet me there if you'd like. I'll be there in one hour and" she glanced at her watch "fifteen minutes". Rolling her eyes she waited. A small smile appeared on her face. "Thank you. I'll see you there." she waited and heard the words echoed back to her before hanging up and making her way back to the table.

Walking into the station an hour later Samantha's face lit up when she saw Sergeant Lyle at his post. Coming around to meet her, he pulled her into a big hug. "Hello, you beautiful girl" he said into her hair before pulling back and beaming at her.

"Now I have to worry about my co-workers trying to steal my woman too"

They kept their arms around each other and both turned to face Adam who had just come in with Jamie.

Jamie stepped in front of Adam, giving him an elbow jab before collecting Samantha from the Sarge's arms and wrapping his own around her.

"Hello, gorgeous" he said, smiling into her eyes. "Hello yourself, handsome" she replied fluttering her eyelashes at him. They both laughed when Adam shoved Jamie aside and pulled Samantha over. He put his arms around her and, glaring at the Sarge and Jamie, pulled her into an extravagant dip, right in the reception area of the police station and kissed the stuffing out of her. Jamie and the Sarge both laughing at him. "Why don't you just pee on her?" muttered Sergeant Lyle before grabbing Samantha's hand and pulling her to his desk.

"This is from Elizabeth" he said pulling a beautiful handmade lace doily from his lunch bag. It was wrapped up carefully in tissue paper.

"Oh my goodness, Sarge. This is exquisite. I think that I'm actually going to frame it. She is so talented" The Sarge smiled proudly. "I feel like I am stealing from her with my measly part of our trade" she pulled out a cloth pouch and laid it on the counter. Sergeant Lyle opened the bag and pulled out another package surrounded by bubble wrap which he also carefully opened.

A brilliant smile crossed his face. "Oh, these are perfect! She's going to love them" In the wrapping were six antique silver spoons, each with different and unique handles. The bowl part of each spoon had been pressed flat and polished and Samantha had engraved the names of different herbs onto each. Interested, Adam leaned over the counter to look "Hey, those are pretty cool. Are they to mark your garden?"

"It's our anniversary and I made Elizabeth a little herb bed, she loves gardening. Samantha and I were talking about it last week and she said that she could make these for me so I offered a trade. Elizabeth makes the tatted lace just for something to do and likes to give it away. I told her that I wanted to give Samantha one, just because. She doesn't know that she will be getting these markers."

Jamie picked each one up and turned them over looking at them. "I'll bet that my mom would love these for her birthday." He looked at Samantha. "Could you make some more?"

"Of course" Sam said. "I have a whole box of mixed silver under Adam's side of the bed" she grinned at him and patted his hand when he rolled his eyes before giving her a squeeze.

"Not to put a damper on our day but let's have this rose" Samantha sighed and pulled it out of her bag and relayed the story.